RIP Ariana Grande’s Ponytail: An Obituary (2014 — 2018)

Ariana Grande's signature high ponytail was pronounced dead Thursday (Nov. 15). She was 4 years old.

Born around 2014, Ariana's ponytail became a fashion icon in Hollywood over the past few years after the pop star began toting her around everywhere she went, from award show performances to concerts and talk show appearances.

Grande first introduced her high ponytail — which she once told Elle may have a "telepathic connection" to fans — to the world after years of dying her hair left it brittle, damaged and "ratchet," according to the "breathin'" singer's own account.

“I wear it in a pony tail because my actual hair is so broken that it looks absolutely ratchet and absurd when I let it down,” she explained in a Facebook post at the time. “It’s all that works for now (AND I’m comfortable for the first time in years).”

The damage was a result of Grande bleaching and dying her hair red “every other week for the first 4 years of playing Cat" on Nickelodeon’s Sam & Cat. Two years later, Grande was still wearing her hair high in the sky and Arianators were falling more in love with each hair flip. Speaking with Byrdie about her then-new signature style, the singer said she never imagined her ponytail would take on a fandom of its own.

“I had no idea that it was going to become, like, a thing,” she said. “It’s how I like my hair. It’s how I’ve always liked my hair...It brings me so much joy, honestly.”

Grande briefly switched up her look in April 2018, repositioning her ponytail from the top of her head to the bottom for the "no tears left to cry" video and related promotional images. Fans were uneasy about the subtle change and sensed she may be parting ways with the style soon, though they had no idea the change would be so sudden or drastic.

The ponytail persevered, making its way back to the crown of Grande's head in the days that followed.

The ponytail became even more of a sensation when she became a third wheel in the singer's whirlwind relationship with Pete Davidson, often following the young couple everywhere they went, especially shopping in New York City.

In September 2018, the hairstyle made headlines when it was revealed Ariana's ponytail was actually a sentient, fully autonomous being during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She became a national hero after single-handedly (hairily?) stopping a mugger in his tracks.

Tragically, Ariana's trusty ponytail was replaced Thursday when the pop star debut a new bob on Instagram.

Naturally, fans of the style icon were gutted by the ponytail's sudden passing. Many of them have been mourning for her on social media since.

Grande's ponytail may be gone for now, but she's certainly not forgotten. Here's hoping this isn't a firm "thank u, next," but rather a "see u later." After all, something tells us we'll be seeing her again.